Kelley’s death a reminder that officers face uncertainty with each call

The vigil for fallen Hutto Police Sgt. Chris Kelley was held at Fritz Park in Hutto. Kelley was killed in the line of duty. Lieutenant Derrick Steffek, with the Taylor Fire Dept, hugs another mourner at the vigil. Steffek is Kelley’s cousin. (Laura Skelding/AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Fritz Park in Hutto was transformed on Thursday from a happy family retreat to a community place of grieving to mourn the death of Sgt. Chris Kelley.

Kelley, who had been a member of the Hutto Police Department for seven years, was killed Wednesday after attempting to arrest a motorist. Kelley’s tragic death marked the first time a Hutto police officer had died while in the line of duty. It is also a grim reminder that the job of law enforcement officers – our public servants — is unpredictable and, at times, dangerous.

Hutto, Texas police officer Chris Kelley, who was killed in the line of duty on June 24, 2015 in Hutto, Texas.

Preliminary statistics released in May by the FBI show that 51 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2014. This is an increase of almost 89 percent when compared to the 27 officers killed in 2013. Since 2000, six Austin Police Department officers have been killed in the line of duty.

Although the numbers are relatively low, that ever-present danger is never far from the minds of officers and their families. The rare occurrences of police death are perhaps why the subject seldom arises. The stories of police shooting involving unarmed black men more often capture the attention of news media.

In the past few months, stories from Cleveland, North Charleston and Ferguson, have become the foundation of an ongoing national conversation about race and police use of force. But more and more, the headlines tell the flip side of men of color killed by police: police killed in assaults.

High profile deaths of police officers killed by gunmen in New York, Cincinnati and New Orleans in that last six months, as well as the headlines of similar stories have become more common. As of June 26, more than 60 police officers have died in the line of duty this year alone, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a non-profit law enforcement advocacy group in Washington, D.C. Of those, 18 were firearm-related deaths.

The clashing issues — that of men color killed by police and of police feloniously killed in the line of duty — have created tension in the race and police use of force debate. The conversations, have proven to be challenging and uncomfortable for many. Still, the conversations must continue if change for the better is desired.

Nothing is guaranteed. It is this uncertainty that brings us back to the need to remember the dangers associated with police work. In most cases, an officer has very little, if any, information when he or she answers a call. A routine stop can become dangerous within seconds, regardless of the perpetrator involved.

Williamson fled from officers in a Mitsubishi Eclipse before he crashed into a fire hydrant in front of a home in the 200 block of Herrera Trail. Williamson then ran away until Kelley, 37, found him near a home on Wren Cove, according to affidavits. The officer attempted to handcuff Williamson when Williamson used his body to throw Kelley off balance. Williamson ran and got into to Kelley’s patrol vehicle. Kelley tried to stop before Williamson put the car into reverse. The vehicle ran over Kelley’s body. Kelley was later pronounced dead at Seton Medical Center Williamson in Round Rock. His funeral has been set for Tuesday, June 30.

Williamson was captured by another officer on the scene. Williamson is charged with a first-degree felony with a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Kelly’s death is a vivid, wrenching reminder that any police call, no matter how benign, could end up fatal.

Yes, improving how officers respond to the public, especially in communities of color, is an issue we must confront. But we should also remember the difficult working conditions officers face daily, and we should thank those who answer the call to serve.

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